File Form 5558 online
An application for more time to file the Form 5500 series return — up to two and a half months, approved automatically when it is filed on time.
$19 per filing, paid by card when it goes. Preparing and checking it is free. All prices
The essentials
What it does
Moves the return's deadline from the last day of the 7th month after the plan year ends to the 15th day of the 3rd month after that — 31 July to 15 October for a calendar-year plan.
When to file it
On or before the return's normal due date. Filed later, the extension is not automatic.
Signature
None. Form 5558 needs no electronic signature, which makes it the quickest filing there is.
Approval
Automatic if it is filed by the normal due date and asks for no more than the maximum. You will not hear back — that is the process working.
How filing it here works
- Answer ten questions about the plan and the employer.
- We compute both dates from the plan year end, so there is no deadline arithmetic to get wrong.
- Every government check runs before it is sent.
- File in minutes and keep the acknowledgement for the plan's records.
This page explains the form in general terms. It is not tax or legal advice, and the plan administrator remains responsible for what is filed.
Questions
How much extra time does Form 5558 give?
Up to two and a half months, once. For a calendar-year plan that moves the Form 5500 series deadline from 31 July to 15 October.
Does Form 5558 need a signature?
No. The IRS states that signatures are not needed on Form 5558 for an extension of time to file a Form 5500 series return.
Can Form 5558 be filed electronically?
Yes. It can be filed through EFAST2, which is how we file it, or on paper with the IRS.
Which returns can Form 5558 extend?
Forms 5500, 5500-SF and 5500-EZ, and Form 8955-SSA. Use a separate Form 5558 for the Form 5500 series return. It is no longer used for Form 5330.
Does Form 5558 extend the PBGC premium due date?
No. PBGC sets its own premium due dates, and a Form 5558 does not move them.
Do I need Form 5558 if my business has a tax-return extension?
Not always. If the plan year matches the employer's tax year and the employer's income tax return is extended to a later date, the Form 5500 series return is extended automatically to that date. That automatic extension cannot then be stretched further by filing Form 5558 after the normal due date.
Official sources
Rules change. These are the government pages the answers above come from.
Work out your dates with the due date calculator.